Boxing day – one of the things I like about canal cycling is that many canal side dwellers have a bizarre sense of humour, and construct often elaborate joke displays. This seems a particular tradition along the Trent and Mersey canal, where one can often see odd displays at the water margins of gardens on the opposite bank. I loved this fishing Santa at Rugeley. That must have taken some time to create… my congratulations to the householder.
Boxing day – Cannock Chase was an absolute blast. Great to enjoy the company of fellow bikers, I span around Birches Valley for a bit, then headed for Abrahams Valley to really open it out. There was nobody to speak of down there, and that’s quite a top speed for a downhill run on a fire-road. Exhilarating and refreshing.
Boxing day – I always head for the Chase at this time. Birches Valley cafe is usually open, and it’s great to blast off the excesses of the previous day. I travelled out via Chasewater, and cycled up the mound on Norton Bog, something I haven’t done before. The view up there is really quite good, and although it’s unseasonably springlike at the moment, it really shows we’re in the midst of winter.
Christmas day – the traditional Christmas ride this morning involved the exploration of the commons and heaths around Brownhills. I took advantage of the quiet to have good look around and see if I could spot any of the area’s elusive read deer. Sadly, I was out of luck on that score, but I did find the boardwalk on the north shore – a fine riding challenge itself. For those wondering what happened to the old rowing boat that was revealed when the lake was drained, it’s currently on display outside the Ranger’s office on the south shore. It would be nice if it could be restored, as it must have some history. I wondered what had become of it.
Christmas Eve – Up on Pipe Hill overlooking Lichfield, I had a fiddle with a camera I’d been lent to temporarily replace my beloved TZ20. It’s a Sony Cycbershot, and the controls and menus seemed very awkward to me after years of being used to Panasonic. The results seem a bit random, too, but this seasonal shot of Lichfield, it’s cathedral lit up on the skyline, came out quite well. I don’t think me and the Sony will become friends. Lets see what pops up in the January sales…
December 23rd – Quite simply horrible. One of the nastiest days of bad weather for a good while, and on a day when I had stuff to do. Taking a shortcut over Chasewater, the driving rain, wind and air of desertion made for a very black mood, which worsened somewhat later in the day when I dropped, and fatally wounded my trusty Panasonic camera. A duff day all round, but at least on the positive side, Jeffrey’s Swag and Chasewater seem to be filling a little. Heres to better times, and a more careful grip on the camera.
December 22nd – Doing a Christmas shop by bicycle is much easier than you’d think. You need good, spacious panniers and be skilled at packing, but with Waitrose’s great bike facilities, it takes some of the pain away from the process. Certainly, there’s no faffing about parking. The supermarket itself was mad, though; Christmas does bring out the very worst in some folks. Hopefully the exercise of pulling 30 kilos of shopping up Pipe, Summer, Spring and Shire Oak Hills counteracts some of the pork I’ll put on over-indulging…
December 22nd – It’s been a long time – not since last summer, in fact – that Ive featured a view of Lichfield from Aldershawe. On this slightly dull day, the Old Lady of the Vale still looked stunning, as did the fellow spires of companion churches all over the small city. This is a fantastic view which I love dearly, but it’s hard to conceive just how much it has changed since I was a kid. The superstore and houses in the foreground were all fields then. I feel old.
December 22nd – That dreaded time when you have to do Christmas shopping. Taking a run up to Lichfield through the quiet lanes of Stonnall and Wall, I stopped at the hilltop overlooking Lichfield to catch my breath before entering the madness that is Lichfield at Christmas. I noticed Wall village cricket ground looking sad, forlorn and idle; hopefully, now the shortest day has passed it won’t be long until this field sees the white-clad lads out to defend their honour…
December 20th – 390 metres up on Nether Low, on a desolate bridleway ten miles from the nearest significant town, this beautiful spot is blighted by flytipping. Possibly the remnants of metal theft, a pile of discarded cable insulation. Scrap yards pay more for stripped copper, so the insulation is carelessly discarded. This is the visible side effect of the scrap trade, and we’re still no closer to solving the problem. My views on this, and the current pointless knee jerk reaction are well known. Meanwhile, while politicians and the public prevaricate, the damage continues. Senseless. The good people fighting this crime need more resources. Now.
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